SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
June 3, 1997
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EPITOPE, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in charter)
Oregon
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
1-10492
(Commission File No.)
93-0779127
(IRS Employer Identification No.)
8505 S.W. Creekside Place
Beaverton, Oregon 97008
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
(503) 641-6115
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Item 5. Other Events.
On June 3, 1997, Epitope, Inc., issued a press release
regarding a change in management. A copy of the press release is attached as an
exhibit to this report.
Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and
Exhibits.
(a) Not applicable.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Exhibits.
The exhibits to this report are listed in the exhibit index
following the signature page.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
EPITOPE, INC.
Dated: June 4, 1997 By /s/ Gilbert N. Miller
Gilbert N. Miller
Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
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EXHIBIT INDEX
99 Press release of Epitope, Inc., dated June 3, 1997.
Exhibit 99
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gus Allen
Mary Hagen
503.641.6115
EPITOPE ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT CHANGE
Beaverton, Oregon, June 3, 1997 -- Epitope, Inc. (NASDAQ:EPTO) today announced
that Adolph J. Ferro, Ph.D., will devote full time to his position as president
and chief executive officer of the company's Agritope group, effective
immediately. W. Charles Armstrong, a member of the board of directors, will
serve as interim president and chief executive officer of Epitope, Inc.
"Management and the board have been discussing strategies for accelerating
Agritope's development as a stand-alone enterprise," Dr. Ferro stated. "I look
forward to turning my full attention to guiding Agritope in its transition from
development-stage company to mature business."
Dr. Ferro was a co-founder of Agricultural Genetic Systems, Inc., which the
company acquired in 1987 and renamed Agritope, Inc. He is a co-inventor of
Agritope's patented ethylene-control technology. Agritope is developing
applications of the technology to control ripening in fruits and vegetables.
Roger Pringle, chairman of the board, praised Dr. Ferro's accomplishments. "Al
has done an outstanding job of keeping Epitope fully funded in the face of
regulatory delays and other hurdles that prevented it from relying on product
revenues. Now that our medical products are generating meaningful sales, we are
pleased that Al will devote his efforts to commercializing Agritope's genetic
technology, which he was instrumental in developing."
The company will immediately initiate a search for a new president and chief
executive officer of Epitope, Inc. Mr. Armstrong, who will succeed Dr. Ferro in
that capacity on an interim basis, has been a director of Epitope since 1989. He
is the former chief executive officer of Bank of America Oregon.
Mr. Pringle stated that the management change is part of a long-range plan to
allow the company's Epitope Medical Products and Agritope groups to operate
independently. The company's board of directors continues to consider a proposal
to issue a second, separate class of common stock that would track the
performance of Agritope. The board also plans to consider alternatives that
could involve a spin-off or other divestiture of Agritope.
Epitope, Inc. is a biotechnology company that develops and markets medical
diagnostic products through its Epitope Medical Products group. Its Agritope
group is focused on the development and commercialization of novel agricultural
products using plant genetic engineering and other modern methods.
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